Cable socket applying tool and method



06L 1933- J. w. BAlR 1,931,176

CABLE SOCKET APPLYING TOOL AND METHOD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Aug. 30. 1930 Jofin M58217 INVENTOI ATTORNIV J. N. EAER CABLE SOCKET APPLYING TOOL AND METHOD Oct. 17, 1933.

5 Shgets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Aug. 30, 1930 MM M 52 1'2" INVENTOR ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1933. J. w. BAIR CABLE SOCKET APPLYING TOOL AND METHOD 5 Shuts-Sheet 3 TToRNEw 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR W BY 465a ATTORNEY Oct. 17, 1933. J. w. BAIR CABLE SOCKET APPLYING TOOL AND METHOD Original Filed Aug. 5011930 .1. w. BAIR CABLE SOCKET APPLYING TOOL AND METHOD Original Filed Aug. '50 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 QW W um um I f/o/m Ma z 7 INVENTOR 0 BY 86a ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 17, 1933 PATENT oF l-"lc CABLE SOCKET APPLYING TOOL AND METHOD John W. Bair, Strasburg, Pa.

Application August 30, 1930, Serial No. 478,922 Renewed October 29, 1932 20 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine or tool and method for preparing the ends of wire cables and applying a socket or other anchoring tip thereto,

and the invention has as its primary object economy in time and labor.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:--

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine embodying the invention, the component units of the machine being illustrated in the relative positions which they'will occupy on the first step of lo the operation of treating a cable end to apply a tip of the spec'fic sort generally called a socket".

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating the second step in the method and illustrating, partly in section, additional units which are employed U in this step.

Figure 3 is a view partly in top plan and partly in section and illustrating the next step in the method.

Fig. 3a is an elevation illustrating the last posi- I tion.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the machine.

Figure 5 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure .6 is a view looking at that end of the machine opposite the end shown in Figure 4.

D Figure 7 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, the cable end which is being treated being omitted, for the sake of clearness.

I Figure 8 is a perspective view illustrating a contracting unit for contracting or bringing together the initially separated and relatively spread strands of the cable in another step of the method.

Figure 9 is a view in elevation of a pair of grip- I ping members which are to be assembled with the unit shown in Figure 8. I

Figure 10 is a top plan view of said members.

The numeral 1 indicates the base of the ma chine which is preferably of substantially oblong l rectangular form except at one end where it is somewhat widened and this base is supported at its ends by angle iron cross beams 2. The cable with its end broomed as hereinafter described is indicated in general by the reference letter C and I. the machine includes a cable anchoring unit consisting of a cast iron head 3 which is secured by bolts 4 upon the base 1 at one end thereof and.

this head is provided with a vertical face 5 in which a recess 6 of semi-circular form is formed 53 and this recess confronts a similar recess 7 formed in the corresponding face 8 of a head 9 which is provided at its lower side with outstanding flanges 10 mounted slidably in suitable channel guide members 11 bolted or otherwise secured upon the upper side of the base 1. A bearing member 12 is likewise mounted upon this end of the base and secured in place by bolts 13 and an adjusting screw 14 is fitted through a threaded opening in the bearing member and is provided with a polygonal head 15' for the application of a wrench whereby it may be adjusted. The opposite end of this adjusting screw is swivelled as at 16 in that side of the head 9 opposite the side in which the recess 7 is formed, it being understood at this point that the screw 14 may be adjusted so as to adjust the head 9. In this manner this portion of the cable is firmly anchored.

Before the cable is placed in the machine, a clamping member indicated as a whole at 1'7 is applied to prevent the separation of the wires from extending inward beyond the point of such application. The member 17 comprises a pair of substantially semi-circular collar sections secured together by bolts 18. The cable, clamped and broomed, is placed in the machine and gripped and held between the heads 3 and 9 with the clamp 17 abutting against a contracting unit indicated as a whole by the numeral 19. This unit comprises a lower member 20 provided, intermediate its ends, with a collar portion 21 and a member 35 22 is seated in a recess 23 formed in the upper side of the member 20 and securedin place by bolts 24 engaged through its ends and through the member 20 and has a collar portion 25 registering with the portion 21 of the member 20 and the portions 21 and 25 are assembled as shown in Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings. The unit 12 will present a conical throat 26 through which the end of the cable, directly at the inner ends of its separated and spread wires, may be seated, and the member 22 then secured in place. The minor end of the throat 26 is of substantially the same diameter as the wound cable and the taper of the throat is such as to correspond substantially to the manner in which the wires of the cable end are 10c spread as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Openings 27 are formed in the ends of the member 20 of the contracting unit and rods 28 are mounted at their ends in these openings. Heads 29 on the end of said rods engage the member 20. The-other ends of the rods are threaded as indicated by the numeral 30. and are fitted throughopenings formed in the head 31 which is slidably mounted at its ends in pairs of guide rails 32 supported upon uprights 33 mounted upon the base 1, these pairs of uprights being arranged at opposite sides 01' the base 1 and being spaced by blocks 32' and fastened by bolts 32", Figs. 5 and 6. An adjusting screw 34 is connected by a swivel connection, as at 35 with the head 31 and is threaded adjustably in a bearing 36 upon the said base 1, a polygonal head 3'7 being provided at the outer end of this screw for the application of a wrench whereby the screw may be rotated so as to adjust the head 31 longitudinally with respect to the rails 32. In order that the head 31 may be held in suitable positions of longitudinal adjustment with respect to the rods 28, nuts 38 are threaded onto the ends 30 of the said rods and engage the opposite sides of the head 81.

The tip which is to be applied to the end of the cable is indicated by the numeral 39. The tip illustrated is a common style of socket which comprises an exteriorly cylindrical body having a circumscribing flange 40 at one end and the body is formed, axially, with a conical bore 41 and the major end of this bore opens through that end or the body at which, the flange 40 is formed and the bore is formed at its minor end with a conical flared seat 42. p

In order that the tip 39 may be supported so that the separated and relatively spread wires of the cable end may be conflned within the bore 41 thereof, in a step of the carrying out of the method which will presently be described, two hangers are provided and these hangers are indicated, one by the numeral 43 and the other by the numeral 44. The hangers are identical in construction so tar as their body portions are concerned and'each comprises an arcuate body portion 45 having a flange 46 which is provided with openings whereby the ends of the hanger may slide on the rods 28. Collars 47 on the rods are set byscrews 48 on the rods in position to engage the hanger 44 in the position shown so as to push both its ends inward with the tip when the rods 28 are moved inward by the operating screw. The flange 40 01 the tip similarly pushes the hanger 43 inward with the tip. The collars 4'7 will be adjusted in accordance with the length of the tip 39 to be supported. Each collar 4'1 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 49, at its inner side, and 'a grooved anti-friction wheel 50 is rotatably mounted at the lower end of each arm and travels upon the 'upper edge 01' a rail 51 mounted upon the base 1 and at the respective side or said base, it being understood that in this a manner the rods 28 are reinforced and protected from any sagging due to the weight imposed upon them by the tip 39 and the cable C.

Likewise it will be evident that the hangers 43 and 44 are in this manner maintained in axial alinement with the conical bore 26 or the contracting unit 19.

The machine embodies another contracting.

unitwhich is indicated in general by the numeral 52 and this unit comprises a body 53 the main portion of which is exteriorly cylindrical and one end is exteriorly or conical form as vindicated by the numeral 54 and adapted to seat in the major end or the bore 26 or the contracting unit 19 in carrying out another step of the method which will presently be more specifically described. The body 53 is likewise formed with a bore 55 (Fig. 2) and that end of the bore which opens through the tapered end 54 of the body 53 is flared and of conical form as indicated by the numeral 56. Otherwise the bore 55 is cylindrical in tom and of a diameter to correspond to the diameter of the cable throughout its wound portion. At its other end, the body 53 is formed with a flange 57 which is 01' annular form and extends about the corresponding end of the bore 55 and is exteriorly tapered to conical form so as to engage in the flared end 42 of the bore 41 of the tip 39. The unit 52 is formed in two sections as shown in Figures 9 and 10 of the drawings and in order to prevent any relative displacement of these sections when they are assembled about the-cable, one of the sections is formed with sockets, indicated by the numeral 58 and the other with studs indicated by the numeral 59 which are adapted to engage in said sockets.

The term wire cable is used herein to include a variety of products commonly called cables, whether what is technically known as a strand (consisting of a number of individual wires bound or twisted together) or what is known'as a wire rope (consisting of a number of such strands bound or twisted together); with or without a hemp center within the strands of the rope or within the wires constituting the strand, or within both.

In preparing the end of a wire cable for socketing the individual wires should be separated so as to be separately adherent to the molten zinc. Where there is ahemp center or centers, these are usually cut oil when the ends of the wires 1 are separated.

In applying the present invention, the first step is to clamp the cable at a determined point by the clamp 17 and to broom or separate the wires so that each stands out separately as indicated in Fig. 1. The wires are then thoroughly cleaned.

The machine is set in the position of Fig. 1 but with the cap 22 of the contracting unit removed and the gripping heads 3 and 9 separated. The clamped and broomed cable is then inserted in the position of Fig. 1 with the clamp against the contracting unit 19 and the broomed ends of the wires lying in the conical bore of the lower part of the contracting unit, and the gripping I head 9 is advanced to hold the cable in this position. The cap 22 of the contracting unit is applied .to embrace the broomed wires.

The screw 34 is then operated to pull the contracting device outward to substantially the position of Fig. 2 where the mouth of the opening 26 in the contracting device is carried beyond the ends of the wires. In this movement the wires are pressed close together as they pass through the narrow end of the bore 26. In the final posi- 1') tion the wires are held substantially straight (Fi 2).

The next step is to insert the ring 52. The two halves of it are placed together and its tapered end is introduced into the flared open- 185 ing in the contracting unit 19. Its inner edge is slightly beyond the outer ends of the wires, when it is pushed home into the member 19.

The socket is then placed in the machine and the cross head 31 brought up against it by a partial operation of the screw 34. A further operation of the screw 34 pushes the socket 39 into overlapping engagement with the flange on the, outer end ,of the'ring 52. This is the position of Fig. 2 and we are ready now for the step of passing the ends of the wires into the socket.

The screw 34 is now operated to push the contracting member 19 and the cross head 31 inward. The relation of the parts 19, 52 and the socket a9 is maintained during this movement. When the movement begins, the ends of the wires first enter the flared opening in the ring 52 and are thus guided into the cylindrical bore thereof and into the bore of the socket. As-

the movement progresses, the ends of the wires pass into the socket and are released from con-- finement by the unit 19 and the ring 52.

The guiding ring 52 serves an additional purpose which is peculiarly advantageous. Its frictional engagement with the wires as it passes,

over them gives them a set or tendency to.deform such that as they emerge into thebore of the socket they naturally bend outward from the center and thus eifeet an automatic separation from each other.

The outer portion of each wire is compressed longitudinally by its frictional engagement with the guiding ring, so thatas soon as the wire is free the longer inner side of it expands and produces an outward bend. In most cases this action is sufilcient to avoid the necessity of any subsequent manipulation of the ends of the wires within the socket. i

when the wires have passed into the socket a sufficient distance measure their retention, the cap 22 of the unit 19 is unbolted and. removed, leaving the wires resting in the member 20. The split ring 52 falls oi! or is removed readily by hand. This position is shown in Fig.

3. The cable is then released from the gripping holders 3 and 9 and the end bent up to a vertical position and the socket slid down to rest on the clamp 17 as in Fig. 3a. The ends of the wires should then extend practically to the outer end of the boreof the socket. If too long they are, of course, easily cut ofl. The socket and cable have to be heldin this vertical position, of course, in order to pour in the zinc.

When the zinc is solidified, the clamp mas be and generally will be removed. The untwisted wires should be distributed fairly evenly across the bore of the socket. They should also be clean. In this work it is common to clean the wires both before and after passing them into. the socket to remove oil, grease and dirt.

The bore or opening in the socket or tip may be of various shapes other than the conical shape illustrated; the only essential being that it must be enlarged toward the outer end. And

' various other motive devices than the screw 34 may be employed in accordance with the weights and forces involved, and other circumstances.

The contracting unit 19 serves the purpose of first contracting or pressing the wires together, and then of holding or confining them' to permit the application of the tip. The ring or unit 52 serves to confine the ends as they emerge lengthwise from the unit 19 and serves particularly as a guide to introducethem while thus confined into the small end of the tip opening; and serves also to impose upon the wires a tendency to bend outward as soon as they are released within the socket.

The separate instrumentalities of the machine may be varied and the functions of one or more of them may be served by separate tools or apparatus, or may be accomplished by hand. That is to say, the means for applying a tip to such untwisted ends of a cable may be used with various other devices than that described for holding the untwisted ends together to permit the application of the tip. The means for confining the untwisted ends as well as the means for guiding them into the tip and automatically spreading them therein, may be used for the apfor advancing said unit outward so that the; con- 3 plication of a tip .by hand or by various other m than that described. g

The invention also consistsin the method of applying sockets or similar tips to wire cables or ropes. The conventional method has been to seize the cable (that is, bind it with wire at the end). or to 'untwist the wires and bind their ends with a piece of seizing wire,and to pass the seized end into the socket through the smaller end of the opening; thereafter removing the seizing and spreading the wires by hand. Thishas involved the use of, a socket with a bore which at its small end is considerably larger (except in the case of hemp-center wire rope of which the center has been removed before socketing) than is required for the unseized end of the cable with the method of this invention.

Such an enlarged hole requires considerable calking with putty, clay or the like, around the cable where it enters the socket in order to hold the-molten metal poured in; whereas, with the pouring operations.

WhatI claim is:-- i

i. In a machine of the'class described, means for gripping a cable near an end thereof which is to be provided with an anchoring tip, means for clamping the cable between the gripping means and its end so as to permitthe brooming of the end of the cable and to restrict the length of the untwisted ends, means for contracting the untwisted ends and confining them close together and means for supporting a tip with-an outwardly enlarged bore and moving the inner end of said tip over the confined wiresand rermitting the latter to expand within the bore.

2. ha machine of the class described, means for gripping a cable near an end thereofwhich is to be provided with an anchoring tip, means for clamping the cable between the gripping means and its end so as to permit the brooming of the end of the cable and to restrict the length of the untwisted ends, a contracting unit having a conical throat to receive the spread ends, means ical throat thereof will contract and retain the v wires close together, means forsupporting a tip having a bore with an enlarged outer end. and

feeding means having an abutment adapted to engage the tip and when moved inward to pass the tip over the confined ends of the wires so as to permit the latter to expand within its bore. 3. In a machine of the class described, means for gripping a cable near an end thereof which is to be provided with an anchoring tip, means for clamping the cable between the gripping means and its end so as to permit the brooming of the end of the cable and to restrict the length of the untwisted ends, said clamping means comprising a pair of separable collar sections, a com tracting unit having a conical throat to receive the spreadends, means for advancing said unit outward so that theconical throat thereof will contract and retain the wires close together, means for supporting a tip having aborewith an enlarged outer end and feeding means having an abutment adapted to engage the tip and when moved inward to pass the tip over ,the confined ends of the wires so as to permit the latter to expand within its bore.

4. In a machine of the class described, means for gripping a cable near an end thereof which is to be provided with an anchoring tip, means for clamping the cable between the gripping so as to permit the brooming of the untwisted ends, a contracting unit comfor advancin prising a pair of separable sections having recesses which form a throat of conical shape opening outward and adapted to embrace the untwisted wires, means for advancing said contracting means outward so as to contract and restrain the wires close together, means for supporting a tip having an outwardly enlarged boreand means the tip over the confined ends whereby the latter may expand within the bore.

5. In a machine of the class described, means for gripping a cable near an end thereof which is to be provided with an anchoring tip, means for clamping the cable between the gripping means and its end so as to permit the brooming of the end 0'! the cable and to restrict the length of the untwisted ends, means for contracting the untwisted wires and confining them close together in a recess of the contracting means, a guiding means comprising a sectional collar having an end adapted to seat in the outer end of the recess of the contracting unit, means for supporting a tip having an outwardly enlarged bore with its inner end in engagement with said guiding means and advancing said tip. guiding means and contracting unit inward to pass the tip over the ends of the wires and permit such endsto expand within its bore.

6. In a machine of the class described, means for g pping a cable near an end thereof which is to be provided with an anchoring tip, means for clamping the cable between the gripping means and its end so as to permit the, brooming of the end of the cable and to. restrict the length of theuntwisted ends, a contracting unit having a conical throat to receive thespread ends of the wires, means for advancing said unit outward to bring said ends together and confine them, guiding means comprising a sectional collar having its inner end adapted to enter the throat of the contracting unit, means for supporting a tip having an outwardly enlarged bore with its inner end engaging said guiding means and overlapping the same, and means for advancing the tip and guiding means and contracting unit inward to release the ends of the wires and introduce them into the bore of the tip and permit themto expand therein.

7. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip to the untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable, the combination of means for confining the untwisted ends close together and means for applying a tip over the confined ends and simultaneously releasing them from the confining means so as to permit their separation as they enter the ti :3. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip to the untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable, the combination of means for drawing a confining device lengthwise over the untwisted ends to bring them close together and confine them and means for applying a tip over the confined ends and releasing them from the confining means so as to permit their separation within the tip.

' 9. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip to the untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable, the combination of means for confining the untwisted ends close together, and means for applyin a tip over the confined ends and for removing said confining means progressively as the tip is advanced over the ends so as to permit separation of the ends within the tip.

10. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip to the untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable,

the combination of confining means adapted to engage'the untwisted ends and to be advanced along the same to draw them close together and means for applying a tip over the confined ends and withdrawing the confining means progressively as the tip is, advanced so as to permit the separation of the ends within the tip.

11. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip to the untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable, guiding means through which the ends pass and are guided into the tip.

12. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip tothe untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable, means for pressing and holding close together the untwisted ends and a guide for directing the untwisted ends into the tip.

13. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip to the untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable, a confining ring adapted to press together and to guide the ends of the wires and to be brought into overlapping engagement with the tip at its inner end so that by moving the tip and ring together along the cable the wire ends are freed from the ring as they pass into the tip.

14. In a machine for applying an anchoring tip to the untwisted ends of the wires of a wire cable, the combination of a contracting and confining means adapted to embrace the untwisted ends and by an outward movement to contract and ,confine them close together anda guiding and confining means engaging said contracting and confining means and extending beyond the outer face thereof, said guiding means being adapted to enter into overlapping engagement with said tip so that by movement of saidparts inward the untwisted ends of the wire are released from confinement and guided into the bore of the tip and permitted to expand therein.

15. The method of applying an anchoring tip to a wire cable which consists in untwisting the ends of the wires, confining the untwisted ends, introducing them into the tip and releasing them during such introduction and finally fixing them within the tip.

16. The method of applying an anchoring tip to a wire cable which consists in untwisting the ends of the wires, holding the cable in shape at the desired distance from the end, confining the untwisted ends, introducing them into the tip and allowing them to expand during such introduction and finally fixing them within the tip.

17. The method of applying an anchoring tip to a wire cable which consists in applying a confining means to the untwisted wires and drawin it toward the end so as to bring the wires close together, applying a tip to the untwisted ends and confining device, allowing the untwisted ends to spread within the tip and fixing them therein.

18. The method of applying an anchoring tip to a wire cable which consists in pressing the ends of the untwisted wires together in a confining ring, bringing the tip into overlapping engagement at its inner end with said ring and moving the tip and ring together along the cable to free the wire ends from the ring as they pass into the tip.

19. The method of applying an anchoring tip to the ends of the wires of a cable which consists in forcing the ends of the wires while approxiits lot

mately parallel to the cable axis through a confining guide and thence into the small end 01. the

closely fit the ends of the wires in a position approximately parallel to the cable axis and means for forcing them through said ring and guiding them therefrom directly into the bore of a tip, the ring engaging the wires with a frictional engagement which is adapted to impose a set on the wires and cause them to spread outward automatically when they are released from the tip.

JOHN W. BAIR. 

